NCR launches Innovation Lab in US tech hub Georgia

NCR has announced the development of a dedicated research and development hub which will build APIs for digitally-enabled businesses. The new Innovation Lab will bring together NCR's R&D teams and global innovation labs to build cross-channel retail solutions.

The Innovation Lab, which will be located at the company's new global HQ in Atlanta, Georgia, will research into areas of mobile, big data, cloud, Internet of Things, machine learning and predictive analytics. The vendor believes expertise in these areas of technology will allow it to develop solutions for digital commerce across a number of industries.

Known for its ATMs and self-service checkouts, NCR – which counts UK retailers such as Tesco, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer as customers – plans to develop new APIs to enable digital business to create new revenues streams.

"The NCR Innovation Lab will accelerate our transformation to a platform based business model. We are living in exciting times where developers and customers from various ecosystems co-create and exchange value, which is changing the way we research, innovate, and design and think about our solutions and offerings," said Eli Rosner, chief technology officer and senior vice president of software solutions, NCR.

"Omnichannel has evolved. It is now a strategic, end-to-end solution with a horizontal opportunity across all industries, in every geography, and for all tiers of customers. NCR has a big role in shaping this industry, enabling digitally integrated businesses, and powering the digital economy for our customers," added Rosner.

Taking an agile approach to development, the NCR Innovation Lab has taken on a '90-Day Challenge' to get R&D and product teams to design and build new solutions quickly. The programme concluded in a working demo and a number of patent application filings earlier this year.

The vendor plans to continue these challenge programmes, as well as hackathons and other similar activities to foster innovation.

The hub also intends to collaborate with researchers and students at Georgia Tech, as well as people from the developer community across the globe, including other companies, start-ups and customers.

The Mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed, said: "Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing technology centers in the nation, and is emerging as an international hub for technology. NCR’s Innovation Lab will be a key addition to Atlanta’s vibrant innovation community of research institutions, corporations, start-ups and organisations developing game-changing technologies that will shape our future.”

Georgia Department of Economic Development commissioner, Chris Carr, added: "In Georgia, we are fortunate to have a diverse array of centers and incubators that are forging new pathways in digital integration, putting our state at the forefront of progress in the industry. We are excited that industry giant NCR will also open their innovation lab here, and we look forward to seeing the new ideas that spawn from this collaborative space."

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